Yup. I prefer to rehydrate,then bring the yeast cream down to within 10 degrees of current wort temp. I finally realized that that's why rehydrated dry yeast batches took off so soon & so strong. gotta keep the yeast healthy right through pitching time. Then keep ferment temps within range & Bob's your uncle.

I always have trouble getting the yeast to cool down to around 75 by the time my wort is done chilling. Is it ok to place the measuring cup of yeast in another pan of cooler water to quicken the cooling process?

I always have trouble getting the yeast to cool down to around 75 by the time my wort is done chilling. Is it ok to place the measuring cup of yeast in another pan of cooler water to quicken the cooling process?

That simply means to add a small amount of the wort (which is, of course, cooler) to your yeast slurry, stir and let it sit a few minutes. I find that I usually have to repeat this 2-3 times before the yeast is within 10*F of the wort.

That simply means to add a small amount of the wort (which is, of course, cooler) to your yeast slurry, stir and let it sit a few minutes. I find that I usually have to repeat this 2-3 times before the yeast is within 10*F of the wort.

This is the way to do it for a few reasons. It provides the yeast with a food source now that they are "awake". It also allows them to start create the the appropriate enzymes based on the wort environment. They are able to adjust to pH and the osmotic environment. And lastly they acclimate to the wort temperature in a controlled fashion.

Thanks to everyone that chipped into this thread. I had two helpers show up unexpectedly so it turned out to be no problem to rehydrate the yeast shortly before pitching while others supervised the kettle/burner. Nonetheless I'm sure I'll be brewing alone at some point, so this information will come in handy.

I now have a dark ale from a Coopers kit in the fermenter. OG was 1042. The brew went smoothly except that I forgot to submerge the wort chiller into the boiling wort 15 minutes prior to the hour... so I ended up boiling for an extra 10 minutes. Not quite ideal, but I shrugged and opened a beer...

Have you ever used a yeast starter or know anything about it? I would dare say it is one of the easiest ways to improve your beer substantially.

You should never do a yeast starter with dry yeast. For all the reasons previously stated, even 1.040 wort used for liquid starters will kill a significant amount of cells. When properly hydrated, dry yeast has twice the cell count of liquid yeast and can easily handle anything 1.060 or lower. For any brew higher than that, it is cheaper and more effective to just pitch a 2nd packet of dry yeast.